Method of producing metal-surfaced articles.



M. M. MERRITT.

METHOD OF PRODUCING METAL SURFACED ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.3. I915.

13823-590 Patented Oct. 1918* IIIlII/[IIIII ////III/IIIIIIII i l i; /0

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MATTHEW M. MERRITT, 0F DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COPPER PROD- UCTS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OF PRODUCING METAL-SURFACED ARTICLES.

Application filed December 3, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW M. MER- RITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Danvers, county of Essex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, (whose postoffice address is Danvers, Massachusetts,) have invented an Improvement in Methods of Producing Metal-surfaced Articles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to methods for producing metal surfaced articles, being more particularly concerned with the production of articles formed by the electrolytic deposition of metal on a core of some other material.

As an illustration of one specific application of my invention I have described its use in the production of an article having a wooden core or body on which there is electrolytically deposited an outer surface or covering of any desired metal, such as copper. I have chosen as a specific illustration a shoe last of the type employed in the manufacture of rubber boots or shoes, such last consisting of a wooden core or body covered with a protective surface of electrolytically deposited copper. It is to be understood, however, that such use is merelyillustrative and that the process has application to articles of various descriptions diflering both as to use and appearance from the last herein shown, and that it also has application to articles employing cores or bodies of material other than wood.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying illustration which is explanatory of the description herein contained, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a tion illustrating one improved process;

Fig. 2 is a View partly diagrammatic showing the manner of supporting the wooden form and conducting current thereto when immersed in an electrolytic bath; and

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the circuit connections to the last.

Referring to the drawings, my improved last partly in cross sec of the products of my Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918. Serial No. 6 4,908.

my process not being limited to wood or any other material.

This form is then covered with a covering 2 of metal electrolytically deposited thereon. Any metal may be employed, according to the use to which the article is to be put, but as a specific instance only of the invention I. have herein referred to the coating 2 as being copper.

The method of applying this copper or other metallic covering to the form 1 is as follows: If wood or other porous or absorptive material is employed, it is desirable to close the pores thereof and prevent the access of the water in the electrolyte thereto. Otherwise the water in the electrolyte quickly penetrates the porous body of the form causing it to swell or expand and breaking or cracking the electrolytic deposit. This may be avoided by some pore-closing compound, preferably in the form of a waterproof coating applied to the surface of the core: Anythin which .will serve this purpose, such as parain or water glass will suflice, but preferably I employ a thin coating of shellac applied to the surface of the core, which not only seals the pores and renders the core waterproof, but imparts a smooth surface to the core.

Next, a surface of thin, conductive material is applied to the waterproofed core in order to serve as a conductive base on which to deposit the metal. This surface may be applied in any desired or suitable way, but a thin coating of graphite uniformly applied over the surface will answer the purpose.

If the core is placed in the electrolytic bath with the electric terminal having an exposed, external connection to the surface of the core, the metal in its deposition will tend to accumulate and bunch upon the core at and about the vicinity of the terminal connection. To avoid this and to insure an even and uniform deposition of the metal upon the core I preferably provide for an electrical contact between the electric conductor and the conductive surface of the ductor to the core, I have provided one or more plu s 3 of lead or othersuitable material whic are embedded in the core with their ends flush with the surface thereof. These plugs are bored to provide the sockets 4-. in which are inserted the conductor terminals 5, the exposed portions of which are insulated at 6. These may be electrically connected to the current conductor 7 by any suitable means, as by the screws 8, also insulated'from the electrolyte, the conductor being caused to pass through the hollow insulating support 9 of wood or other insulating material to any suitable current source exterior to the tank 10 (Fig. 2). The tank contains the electrolyte 11 of any suitable or usual composition and the anodes l2 and 13 between which the wooden form or core 1 is suspended on the terminal plugs 3 carried by the wooden support 9. The electrical contact takes place interiorly within the last between the plug 3 and the terminal 5, and the plug havlng contact with the conductive coating of graphite or other material at the surface of the last, the metal is deposited evenly and uniformly over the surface of the last. and over the plug up to the insulation 11 on the terminal 5.

The deposition of metal may be continued to any desired depth upon the surface of the core. It maybe made a small fraction of an inch so as to constitute-a thin surfacelayer only or may be continued until it is of appreciable and considerable depth capable of withstanding hard service and wear. The texture of the deposited metal being hard and granular, its wear-resisting qualities are very high. To vary the thickness of the metallic covering it is only necessary to increase the time of exposure to the electrolytic bath or the current density.

When the form is removed from the tank and, the terminals 5 withdrawn from the plugs, the form is left coverer uniformly with copper except at the holes 4 in the plugs 3. The plugs effectually seal the wood against moisture at the only points over which the copper coating does not extend.

The character of the electrolytic deposition is such that the minute openings, crevices and irregularities in the surface of the wood become interlocked with the electrolytic deposit and the latter becomes inseparably adherent to the wooden surface.

The metallic plugs 3 not only serve as contacts, but also act as reinforcement for the wood, at such points as the latter may be called upon to resist wear. By this or similar means a core of material having relatively low wear-resisting qualities may be reinforced at points Where wear is expected by metal or other material having relatively high wear-resisting qualitiesand the metal- .lic covering then applied to the reinforced core.

While I have herein shown and described for purposes of illustration one specific application of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is submitted for purposes of illustration only and that the invention is capable of widely different uses and may be carried out in widely different ways.

laims:

1. The process of forming a metal surfaced article which consists in forming a core or body of non-conductive material,

"the surface of the core, coating the core with an electrically conductive coating connected to the said socket, connecting the socket with an electric conductor having its external, exposed portion insulated, immersing the core in an electrolytic bath, passing current through the said conductor and the socket electrolytically to deposit metal upon the core.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW M. MERRITT. Witnesses THOMAS B. BOOTH, ROBERT H. HARRIS. 

